Five brands have been singled out for demonstrating "the very best in LGBTQ-inclusive marketing" in a new guide to producing such advertising for a mainstream audience.
Kellogg, McCain, Lynx, Smirnoff and Dublin Bus are the five case studies in lobby group PrideAM's report, Outvertising.
The report says that Kellogg’s "My perfect bowl" campaign, by Leo Burnett, demonstrated "acceptance of difference" by including same-sex partners and drag queens in a large cast of people who were shown talking to the camera about the best way to enjoy the cornflakes.
Lynx/Axe’s "Is it OK for guys…" work, by 72andSunny Amsterdam, was held up for "opening a global conversation on what masculinity means" and portraying "diverse men, free to look and behave the way they want, beyond outdated norms".
McCain’s "Here’s to love" spot, by Adam & Eve/DDB, featured a real lesbian couple and thus "helped improve the portrayal of LGBTQ people by making a powerful point about the uniting power of love".
The study, which includes statistics and interviews with experts on LGBT+ issues and best practice, is available from the PrideAM website.
Mark Runacus, chairman of PrideAM, said: "Our sincere hope is that Outvertising will provide some constructive advice to brands and their agencies on how to go about creating such work, covering everything from the brief and script to casting, multichannel activity and how to prepare a social media and PR narrative to back up your intentions."
H&M, Tesco and Coca-Cola were among brands called out by PrideAM last year for "inauthentic" portrayals of LGBT+ people.
